Pay TV subs continuing to rise, despite online alternatives

The number of homes worldwide paying to watch television continues to rise – despite the increasing availability of online alternatives such as Netflix – according to informitv.

The latest quarterly Multiscreen Index shows an overall increase in the digital subscriber numbers of 100 leading pay TV services around the world, across the board, by region or mode of delivery.

Representing approximately 320 million subscribing households across the globe, the report for the first quarter of 2014 reveals that the ten services in the Index reporting the largest subscriber gains totalled almost three million video customers in the first three months of the year – or 5.6%.

The ten services reporting the largest declines collectively lost 0.48 million video customers in the same period – a combined loss of 1.7%.

The report also revealed that 60% of pay TV services in the Index now deliver to multiple screens other than a traditional TV, including smartphones, tablets and other network-connected devices.

“Pay TV providers are launching multiscreen offerings to head off competition from new online subscription video services,” said William Cooper, founder and chief executive of informitv.

“Our research reveals that there is an increasing trend towards delivering services to multiple screens, from smartphones to smart televisions. Contrary to popular opinion that television subscriptions are in decline, the informitv Multiscreen Index presents a bigger picture that shows the total number of pay TV subscriptions is increasing, particularly in developing markets.”